Zachary Taylor's First Annual Message to Congress

This is an excerpt from President Zachary Taylor's first annual message to Congress. Taylor died after sixteen months in office, and so only gave one annual message to Congress. In this excerpt, he discusses his absolute commitment to preserving the Union, "In my judgment, its dissolution would be the greatest of calamities; and to avert that should be the study of every American." The message is signed Z. Taylor, and dated December 4, 1849.